Nice Things
by Katrina Marie Lupin
Summary: Finn has a habit of being stubborn at the most inopportune times. Junko plays along, and Stork, as usual, is hiding something. Hints, but nothing more.


"Sorry, Finn!"

As was far too common, the marksman found himself smashed against the floor under the weight of the Wallop mechanic. The closest crewman to help this time was the pilot, who heaved a world-weary sigh as he offered a hand down to him.

"Dude, why can't you pick on someone... tougher?" Finn said, not liking this downside to their friendship. As he spoke, he took the pilot's proffered grip, and rose himself to his feet... with very little reaction from Stork. He blinked, and before he could think about it, "Someone like Stork" slipped out of his mouth.

The Merb's eyes widened in panick, and his ears reared back before he turned to the Wallop, hands raised. "No way, man. Often as you cream him? No way."

"Yeah!" said Junko. "I mean, no offense, Stork, but... You're _tiny_."

Rather than being offended, Stork nodded quickly, smiling at Finn. "See?"

But Finn had a habit of being stubborn at the most inopportune times. "You know what, Stork? You just picked me up off the floor – no, take that back, you _held me_ as I picked _myself_ off the ground, and you didn't bat an eye. And what about that time you wrestled with Snipe and held your own? For a good minute or so, before you finally found the right button..."

Junko looked to the pilot in surprise, whose ears reared back in dread. "You saw that?"

"Or how about the time you had a Raptor stuck to you?" Finn didn't really catch the flinch and instant glare he received at the word 'Raptor'. "A big one, mind you, and until he came to, you managed to haul him around on your own."

Junko touched a finger to his lips, disbelieving. "That's right..."

"And I'll of course not forget to mention that you fly _this_ thing better than most Sky Knights fly their rides, and this is a _carrier_."

"And an old one, too," Junko added. "She's not in the best shape, and her hydraulics could do with a major overhaul."

The Merb took a step or two back, letting out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, so? I-I'm a pilot. It's what I do."

"You were also the one who fixed this thing up _by yourself_. In the Wastelands, no less."

This time he took a rather proud stance, holding his head high. "That's right. I did. It's something I'm rather proud of."

"I gotta say, Stork, Finn's got a point," Junko said. "You're pretty tough."

And then the Merb deflated. "Hey, I don't want any trouble, now..." He took another step back, holding a hand out. The hallway wasn't quite big enough if this conversation went bad. "We're crewmates, right? No point turning on each other."

"Stork, if you're so tough, why do you hide in _here_ all the time?" Finn demanded.

The Merb sputtered, and then fainted.

The sharpshooter rolled his eyes. "You see this? He might be able to take on a Wallop, and he's passed out on the floor like we overloaded him. And we know he's faking."

The Wallop chuckled. "Yeah... True that."

And then he reached down and plucked up the pilot, who let out a miserable moan. Junko grimaced in sympathy.

"Dude... Are you falling for that?" Finn asked. Now that he was really paying attention... The pilot liked to exaggerate. He had a flair for dramatics, to be sure, but how far did it go?

"What do you mean?" he asked, tossing the Merb over his shoulder.

"Dude, he's _fine_. He just did that to get out of the conversation."

"Oh..." Junko reached back and set the Merb back on his feet. He shook slightly, but he held still, an eye opening carefully to look up at his assistant. Junko blinked at the Merb, and Stork squeezed his eyes shut. Before opening the other to look at Finn, who crossed his arms in a very serious manner. And then he swooned once more. Junko again caught him.

"Heheh... Careful there, buddy."

And then Finn noticed something else. He blinked, not quite accepting it. It didn't make it through a mental filter, and he shook it off. "Whatever, man. I'm still gonna get something to eat. Game should be on soon..."

"Okay! Go Nimrods! Heheh!"

It wasn't until Finn had left the hall for the kitchen that Stork attempted to open an eye, and then just to be sure.

It was with a relieved sigh he took his own posture. "Kaaza... Thanks, Junko. I owe you one."

Junko smiled fondly. "You really are quite the actor, aren't you?"

"I only take the roles I must..." he replied, brushing himself off. And then he paused, and turned to the mechanic. "You... aren't going to tell him, are you?"

Junko smirked. "Tell him what?"

The Merb glared. "You know perfectly well what." He pretended to remove a speck of lint off his ship suit, delighting in the idea that it was the pesky sharpshooter with too many questions. His eyes were pointedly not looking in the direction of the Wallop. "You know how humans are with their... proprieties. They're strange, and do what they like, but they have rules they don't like anyone breaking but themselves."

Junko grinned. Always so bitter. "It's cos he mentioned Raptors, isn't it?"

The glare he received was far colder than the one he'd given Finn. "You _know_ how I feel about Raptors."

The grin stayed in place. "Yeah, I know. Is that what it is I'm not telling him?"

Stork glared again. This one mere annoyance. "Junko..." he warned.

The Wallop laughed. "I'm just messin'. After all... Can't I have nice things?"

The Wallop gave a lecherous wink, and the Merb shuddered involuntarily.

"Call it what you like, 'Big J'," he growled. "Just don't let the humans find out." His voice was low and dangerous as he added with a devilish grin. "Or you'll doom us all."

"I could deal with a little doom," Junko teased.

The Merb glared again, but this time with amusement. "Don't push your luck."

And then the Wallop pushed him. Surprisingly, the Merb stood his ground and pushed back, making the Wallop chuckle. The pair of them made their way down the hallway, petting and pushing and making the kind of fun humans couldn't handle. And then they went their separate ways, with no one the wiser.


End file.
